ROINN COSANTA.

BUREAU OF MILITARY HISTORY, 1913-21.

BY STATEMENT WITNESS

DOCUMENT NO. W.S. 768

Witness

Seamus Mac Diarmada, 8 Owen Roe Terrace, , Co. Cavan.

Identity.

Intelligence Officer for Cavan Town area.

Subject.

Chronology of national events in Co. Cavan, 1906-1923.

Conditions, if any, Stipulated by Witness.

Nil

File No. S.2056 Form SEAMUS STATEMENT BY MR. McDERMOTT

& c/o Messrs. J. Mowlem Co., Windmill Road, Sudbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, England.

CO. CAVAN, 1906-23.

"Sinn Féin" was the name of a small journal with Irish

Ireland outlook, published by late P.J. Bartley, ,

Co. Cavan, and printed by "Anglo-Celt", Cavan, around

l906-'08 period.

1908 - The "Owen Roe O'Neill and Myles the Slasher

Commemoration" committee's meeting, to be held in Cavan Town,

was banned by episcopal decree, principally on political

grounds.

1913-1914. Suffragette threats to burn churches provided an excellent excuse to local Loyal Orange Lodge to

arm their section of " Volunteers". These men, armed

with Winchester rifles, paraded Cavan Town every night.

1914. "" were formed in every parish

in Co. Cavan. Later periods, detailed in all Irish history,

brought in to this movement many constitutional nationalists,

press and clergy.

1915. "Irish Volunteers" (Sinn Féin) were reformed;

organisers, amongst others, being Archie Heron, ex T.D.,

Sam Heron (R.I.P.), Seamus O'Sullivan, Frank Thornton, Peadar

O'Donnell, E. Rooney, &c. (Sean McDermott, R.I.P., also came in , Co. Cavan, was the only active area 1915.) in the Co. in Sinn Féin matters. Cavan Town had a small number of Irish Volunteers amongst whom were Dick Coleman,

(R.I.P.), died in Usk Prison, (he was a clerk on M.G.W.Rly.) and P.J. Cassidy, Sec. Others were active in ,

Virginia, Bailieboro', areas, but they were very few. 2.

1915. The O'Rahilly, Captain white, &c. reviewed

public parades in Cavan,. Ballinagh &c.

- 1916. One Co. Cavan man Caldwell, N.T., Denn, Co.

Cavan, was arrested in G.P.O. fight. Peter Paul Galligan,

ex-T.D., was arrested inCavan, following the rising in

Enniscorthy.

No active volunteers seem to have gone from any part of

Co. Cavan to for Easter Week.

Una O'Higgins (R.I.P.) was arrested near Kingscourt, on

her way with dispatches for Slim Féin leaders on Easter

Monday. She was tried in Cavan Town and sent to Armagh Gaol

for 3 months.

- 1916. May, June, July arrests were carried out all

over the county by R.I.C. and British army (Inniskilling

Fusiliers, Ulster Division).

1917. Return of arrested men. Formation Of Sinn Féin

Clubs &c. after the pattern shown in every county.

1918. Death of Sam Young, M.P. Election of Arthur

Griffith for Cavan. Two seats in Cavan East and West -

W.P. Kennedy (Nat.) for West resigned. P.P. Galligan elected

1919.

1919. Usual pattern of events in every area.

1920. Local elections. Capture of County and Urban

Guardians, R.D.Cs. and committees by Sinn Féin Councils, and Labour.

1920. Cavan area very unorganised. Captain Joseph McMahon ("Denis McCarthy") on release from Jail

appointed to liven up area. He was accidentally killed on.

Sunday, 15th Aug. 1920, Patk. Roche being wounded in the

incident. McMahon's remains were interred in Kilmaley, Ennis,

Co. Clare, during that week, R.I.P. 3.

Arrests in the area in that period, principally in

Ballinagh, included Peadar Cowan, T.D. and 0/C. Thomas

Fitzpatrick (R.I.P.)

May 1920. Thomas Sheridan was killed in an ambush of

R.I.C. at Ballinagh, Co. Cavan.

Sept. 1920. Boycott of Belfast goods. Train raids, &c.

Some Volunteers from North Cavan took part in Ballytrain,

Co. Monaghan, R.I.C. barrack attack. Reorganisation resulted

in setting tip of brigades and divisions and incidentally

swamped Co. Cavan for purposes of record, as credit is given

to the Division concerned for all activities.

Particulars of this organisation (which was done by

people who knew nothing of Co. Cavan) can be had from

Referee Board's office.

Sufficient to show that Cavan and Cootehill area became

3rd Brigade, 5th N. Div. (0/C. Eoin O'Duffy, R.I.P.), Hqrs.

Co. Monaghan. (O'Duffy was President, G.A.A., Secretary,

Ulster Council G.A.A. &c. also was best known in Cavan as

Assistant Surveyor, Monaghan) 1916-1919 period. Ballinagh,

Arva, , , , &c. were

taken into Midland Div. 0/C. Sean McEoin, T.D.

Bailieboro, Mullagh, Virginia &c. came into Meath Bde. area. 0/C. Seamus Farrelly.

Barrack attacks were made in Arva, Dec. 1920. Swanlinbar,

Dec. 1920, and possibly some other areas.

(Cavan area) also staged an abortive one.

- 1920 Nov. 1st. saw first internees for Ballykinlar amongst them being late P.J. Bartley and T.K. Walsh (R.I.P.) detained in Cavan Military Bks. Few of those then arrested were I.R.A. men, but individual arrests resulted in 10 years - sentence on 3 members of Cavan Town Coy. Messrs. Chas.Rei11y Co. Co. Cavan, Sean O'Neill (Co. Carlow) and late Capt Sean 4.

Lynch (), R.I.P., native of Laragh, Cc. Cavan.

A third seat, with Co. Cavan as electoral area, was now available under "Government of Ireland Act 1920". The probable candidate, an East Cavan man, was not supported, due to absence of Sinn Fein Standing Committee from County

Convention in Ballyconnell.

Sinn Fein Hqrs. sent a girl to Cavan for correct information as to their choice. This girl is very probably known as a C. na mBan member in Dublin. At any rate, she must remember her first visit to Cavah town - as an example of how things then stood; it will suffice to say. that after many hardships she was put in touch with the writer (I.0. for the Cavan area). From no source whatever could any information be had as to probable candidate and so, later in the week, S.F. Hqrs. named Sean Milroy (R.I.P.) Townalast,

Co. Tyrone, then interned in Ballykinlar. He had never seen

Cavan before, but he duly became M.P. and was released from

Ballykinlar.

Much the same conditions obtained in I.R.A. circles.

Courts R.I.C. were accurate. Cavan ceased, arrests by very Coy. lost 11 members in one sweep.

with new efforts. column of 1921. opened a Flying Belfast men arrived in the area. May 1921 saw them encircled at Lappanduff, Cootehill, Co. Cavan, Sean McCartney being killed in the fight. He is buried in Milltown Cemetery,

Belfast, in same plot as Joe McKelvey. Survivors of this fight can give full details. One of the survivors, saved from execution by the Truce, is Patk. Smith, T.D., Minister for Local Government. Another is the 0/C. Seamus McGoran,

0/C. Eastern Command; alao Major Torn Fox. 5.

11th to May 1923. Civil War period provides July 1921 nothing worth detailing. Clergy formerly opposed S.F. and

I.R.A. became very active in support of "The Treaty". Every public body in Co. Cavan urged its acceptance; members who had not attended meetings for years turned up to support it.

(My proposition against caused much the same sensation as an atomic blast would today in Cavan town - voting 15 for -

3 against)

"Fighting men" grew in every area, vide "Pensions".

Feby. 1922 saw an effort to abolish the "Border". The only armed attempt to do so. It resulted in the death of Comdt. clones Matt Fitzpatrick and six R.U. Constabulary, at Rly. station.

Civil War became intense, arrests of former I.R.A. men by &c. Cavan and other areas were merged into

4th N. Div. (0/C. , T.D.). Long processions, coffins covered with the tricolour, marching the men, mark passing of "the faithful and the few", R.I.P.

Signed: Diarmada Séamus MÁC (Seamus Mac Date: 17/12/52 Diarmada) 17.12.52

Witness: John McCoy (John McCoy) 17/12/52